Parlor baseball game apparatus



Feb. 24, 1953 B. Lr-:NIT 2,629,597

PARLOR BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1950 l of -H BARNEY LENIT Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARLOR BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS Barney Lenit, Chicago, Ill.

Appiication September 19, 1950, Serial No. 185,621

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to game boards and particularly to an improved form and arrangement thereof for playing a baseball game.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved game board arrangement whereby a more realistic game of parlor baseball may be played by two or more players; to provide such a device in which, by chance-controlled means, substantially every type of baseball play may be constructed by a series of individually determined factors or conditions which must be combined by the player to complete a play; to provide an improved parlor baseball game in which the play of the game primarily directs the course of the ball, after delivery by the pitcher, and affects the runners, if any, only as it would in an actual well played ball game; to provide such a game in which substantially every possible baseball action is created and determined through one or more individual chance-controlled operations; and to provide such a game in which, through chance-controlled determination of the course of the ball, all assists, putouts, and errors may be credited or charged to the player or players involved in each play of the ball.

A specific embodiment of my improved parlor baseball game is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a game board showing the improved plan and arrangement of the playing surface for a baseball game, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the entire game board, shaded to indicate the portion thereof shown in Fig. l.

As shown in the drawings, the improved game apparatus comprises a game board I having a flat playing surface and in which a spinner or similar chance-control means Il is mounted, centrally on the board, as a part of the board structure. In the layout of the board I have utilized a common form in which a plurality of equi-angularly spaced radial lines divide the field or playing surface of the board into a plurality of columns I2 radiating from the spinner axis, the radial lines and the columns formed thereby terminating inwardly within the circular path of the pointer end of the spinner II. The radial columns I2 are then divided into a plurality of outwardly successive segments I3, as shown in Fig. l, by a series of continuous lines I4 which surround the spinner area concentrically and traverse the radial columns. These continuous lines I4 thus4 form a plurality of concentric groups orrows of segments, each row beingcvon-v tinuous and completely surrounding the spinner area and the rows or groups succeeding each other outwardly from the spinner area. Thus, in the form shown, the several segments of each radiating column are aligned with the respective segments of all of the other columns so as to be relatively uniformly spaced from the spinner axls.

This form of game board layout wherein a spinner is employed for chance selection of a column for play is common and well known in the game board art, and the improvement of the present invention resides in the arrangement of the play actions, each of which is a part only of a complete single play of the ball, designated by suitable indicia in the series of boxes or segments comprising each of the several columns of segments which radiate from the spinner. The plan of the improved arrangement, to carry out the objects of the invention, is to provide a diierent type of play action of the ball for each group or row of segments or boxes so that ordinarily the play actions designated by segments from two or more diierent groups must be combined, in the play of the game, to construct the complete ball action from the time the ball is delivered to the batter by the pitcher until the play of the ball is completed. The action is begun by the chance selection of a segment in the first or outermost row and the particular row from which the next segment is selected to carry on the play is indicated by a suitable means in the first segment played and each of those that follow. The particular column in which the indicated next segment lies is selected by chance by means of the spinner.

Thus in the form of the improved baseball game shown in Fig. 1, the rows of segments which contain the individual play action designations are numbered or identied consecutively in the radial direction and each row or number relates to a particular type of play action. The first or outermost row or group of segments I determines what happens to the ball upon its being delivered by the pitcher. That is, whether the ball is hit or missed by the batter and if hit, whether the ball is hit into the air, or on the ground, or as a foul.

The segments 2 comprising the second row or group determine what happens to the ball if it is hit as a fly ball.

The segments 3 of the third row determine what happens to the ball if it is hit as a grounder. The segments 4 of the fourth row determine what happens to the ball if it is hit safely as a fly ball. p

The segments 5 of the fifth row determine what happens to the ball if it is hit as a foul.

The segments 6 of the sixth row determine the play of the ball if it is hit safely as a ground ball; and

The segments 7, 8 and 9 of the seventh, eighth and ninth rows, respectively, determine where the ball was hit on a play involving an error and who makes the error, the segments I determining the result for fly balls, the segments 8 determining the results for ground balls and the segments 9 determining the results of errors made on foul ball.

It will now be seen that the play of the game follows the action of the ball regardless of whether or not runners are on base and that the actions of the runners, if any, is determined entirely by the course and play of the ball in the same manner as in the case of an actua-1 ball game; and that by means of the chance selection of a series of play actions to provide a complete Ysingle play of the ball, it is possible to create substantially every kind of baseball Vplay that could occur in a real professional baseball game.

According to the plan of the game, wherein each row of segments designates a particular type of ball action, that is, what kind of hit ball and how the hit ball is played, the particular designations for each segment vof each row may be arbitrarily arranged so long as they relate to the type of hit ball and play for which the respective row is intended; and in each segment, which designates an action resulting from the ball being hit by a batter, an encircled number or indicator is provided which indicates the next row from which a chance selection of a segment is to be made to carry out the play of the ball. In this manner two or more segments from respectively different rows may be required to complete the ball action and the player, by chance, is able to construct a realistic baseball play, exactly as it would happen in a real game. Thus, in the play of the game, the spinner determines, by -chance and in succession, the columns to be used for locating the successive segments to construct a play; and each segment played indicates the row number for the next succeeding segment or type ci play action to be used, in the column next selected by the spinner.

`As shown at I5 in Fig. l, certain segments may be dividedinto two parts, designated by the encircled letters A and B, in order to provide for two possibilities on certain types of ball actions. ln such case the column in which a divided segment lies will be divided radially into two parts, A and 13, by a line extending into the spinner circle or area, as at I6. Also, because of space limitations the play action designations contained in certain segments must be amplified by special instructions printed at the margin of the playing area on the board. These special instructions are designated by words or symbols placed in the segments and may be as follows:

(1) A runner will not advance on an out unless directed to advance and an advance is possible, or unless anadvance is obvious.

(2) Advance one base on anverror-except where Big is indicated and in such case advance two bases.

3) Long denotes that on a hit theman on base advances one base more than the batter. Where Long is not indicated the runner advances the same number ofbases as the batter.

(4) On Hit and error the runners and batter take the number of bases noted by the Hit plus one base for the Error, even if it is a Long hit or Big error.

(5) Where a play is described by the word Or preference is given to the play following the word Or if applicable.

Where a symbol such as an asterisk appears in a segment, the special instruction indicated is:

If advanced base is occupied, no advance is attempted and batter is safe at the base indicated by the kind of hit made. On Hit and error play batter is safe at advanced base and all runners advance accordingly.

-In the play of the game the player becomes the batter when it is his turn to spin the spinner. The segment of row I selected by the rst spin determines whether or not the ball was hit. An encircled number, appearing in the segment determined by the first spin, indicates the number of next segment to be used in the columns selected by the second spin of the spinner. If an encircled number appears in the second segment played, that number indicates the number of the segment to be used in the column selected by the third spin of the spinner. Thus the result of the first spin combined with the results 0f the successive spins make a complete turn at bat, and a batter or player spins the spinner arrow as many times las may be necessary to construct a complete play of the ball and until he is either safe on base'or out.

An example of a players turn at bat is shown in Fig. 1 where the result of the first spin is indicated by the position of the arrow II which designates a starting point D. The indication in the segment I, at D, is a foul and an encircled number 5 which indicates that the result of the next spin will be found in a segment or box of row number 5. Assuming that on the next spin the arrow stops at the position indicated by the dotted arrow 11.1, segment number 5 of that column designates the result of the foul hit as being catcher cant reach. The player now has one strike against him. Since there is no encircled number in the second segment played, the number 1 is implied and on the next spin a segment or box of row I will be used. Assuming that on the third spin the spinner rests at the dotted arrow position 11.2, the segment I of that column, indicated at E, shows that the ball was hit as a fly and by the encircled numeral 2 indi- Cates a segment in row 2 is to be selected by the next spin. Then, if on the fourth spin the spinner stops at the position 11.3, the segment 2 of that column, indicated at F, will show that the ball is a safe hit. This segment, however, contains an encircled numeral 4 which indicates that a segment from row d is to be selected to determine what kind of a hit has been made. Thus if on the fth spin the spinnel` stops at the position 11.4, segment number 4 of that selected column, indicated by G, designates a one base hit to left field. This last segment, however, is a divided segment containing two designations, the portion indicated by the encircled letter B showing a one base hit to left field and the portion indicated by the encircled letter A showing that lthe batter is outat'second if second base is unoccupied. In the present example, however, the arrow stopped in the division B and therefore the result of the first batters turn at bat, and his live successive spins ofthe spinner is that he has made ya safe hit to left eld and is safe on first base.

`Since the order of the'designation for the segments making up each complete row encircling the spinner is arbitrary, only a portion of the playing eld of the game board has been shown in Fig. 1 and it will be understood that the complete playing field will entirely and uniformly surround the spinner area. Thus no matter where the spinner may come to rest it will always indicate a definite ball action and ordinarily two or more spins by the player will be required to determine the full result of his turn at bat.

Scoring of the game and the field rules are the same as big league baseball and since the play of the game determines all assists, errors, and put-outs, and who is credited or charged on every play, a complete and detailed box score may be kept for each of the nine players making up a standard team. If desired the game m-ay be supplemented by a second board having a baseball diamond layout on which playing pieces representing players and runners may be placed in elding positions and on the bases.

Particular advantages of the improved baseball game are to be found in the fact that substantially every kind of baseball play may occur, the play of the game being according to and following the action of the ball and the construction of the play, by the player, admitting practically every play action that is to be found in an actual ball game; and in the fact that the kind of hit obtained by the batter is not conditioned by the presence of runners on the bases and only the fielding of the ball is affected by the presence of runners, just as in a real game where fielding judgment is required. Other advantages lie in the arrangement of ball action possibilities whereby each operation of a chancecontrolled device determines but one action for a hit ball and successive operations are required to determine the full course of the ball, through the various fielding possibilities, to complete the play. And still further advantages are to be found in the game arrangement which requires a series of successive chance-controlled operations to determine each complete play, and the several players involved in each play, whereby a realistic ball game can be played and player interest is greatly stimulated by the variations of play possibilities.

Although but one speciiic embodiment of my improved parlor baseball game is herein shown and described it will be understood that details as shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A game board, for playing a g-ame simulating an actual baseball game, comprising a playing surface having lines thereon radiating from a common center and defining a series of radi-a1 columns, each of said columns being subdivided into a series of segments by radially spaced transverse lines and the corresponding segments of the several columns forming radi-ally consecutive rows, indicia in each of said segments defining a predetermined individual baseball play action and the play action indicated in some of the segments comprising a part only of a complete play of the ball, the indici-a in the segments of each row relating to a single kind of baseball play action common to that row; certain of said rows relating exclusively to actions on batted flyballs, batted ground-balls, safe hits, and errors respectively, whereby batted individual play actions taken from several rows successively may be combined to construct a single complete play of the ball; and chance-controlled means for selecting individually the columns in which successive individual play actions are to be taken to construct a play of the ball.

2. A game board, for playing a game simulating an actual baseball game, comprising a playing surface having lines thereon dividing said surface into columns, and other lines intersecting said columns to divide the same into a plurality of rows of column segments, indicia in each of said segments defining a predetermined individual baseball play action and the play action indicated in some of the segments comprising a part only of a complete play of the ball, and the indicia in the segments in each row of segments relating to a single kind of play action of the ball common to that row; said rows of segments relating respectively to actions of the batter, batted ily-balls, batted ground-balls, safe ily-hits, safe ground-hits, foul balls, and result of plays involving an error; indicia in predetermined ones of said segments indicating the next succeeding row of segments from which a play action of the ball is to be taken in the course of playing the game, and chance-controlled means for selecting the columns in which successive individual play actions are to be found whereby the individual play actions of several rows may be combined successively by chance to construct a single complete play of the ball.

3. A game board, for playing a game simulating an actual baseball game, comprising a playing surface having lines thereon defining a plurality of columns, each of said columns being subdivided longitudinally into a series of segments, the corresponding segments of the several columns being commonly identied and comprising consecutive rows of segments arranged in predetermined order lengthwise of the columns, indicia in each of said segments defining a predetermined baseball play action following throwing of the ball by a pitcher, the indicia in the segments comprising each row relating to a single kind of play action common to that row and different than the kind of play action indicated in the segments of any other row whereby individual play actions taken from a plurality of rows successively may be combined to construct a single complete play of the ball; certain of said rows relating exclusively to play actions for batted fly balls, to play actions for batted ground balls, and to play actions for batted foul balls, respectively; predetermined ones of said indicia including an indicator of the next row to be used by the player in constructing his play of the ball, and chance controlled means for selecting the columns in which the successive play actions are to be taken.

BARNEY LENIT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

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